Toyota’s versatile flagship sedan blends luxury and fuel efficiency
With the stance of a utility vehicle and the look of a hatchback, this bold-looking Toyota is actually none of the above. Welcome to the Crown sedan, the replacement for the retired Toyota Avalon.
The Crown nameplate, which arrived for 1958 and vanished from North America after 1972, is back once more, with a design that’s far from conservative.
The rakish model shows off a wide-mouthed grille with black trim around the fender openings and black inlays along the lower edge of the doors. Some might consider the look awkwardly radical, but it definitely catches the eye.
The interior is a bit busy, but in an upscale kind of way. Dominating the dashboard is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen along with a plethora of switches on the steering wheel. There’s also a 12.3-inch digital gauge display.
A toggle-type electronic shifter on the center console is a more discrete substitute for old-school levers, but it’s not particularly intuitive.
The Crown and the retired Avalon are similarly sized, but the Crown is about 3.5-inches taller, which helps with rear headroom as the roof drops off rapidly toward the trunk. There’s a significant gap between the tires and the fenders — visually amplified by black trim — which will allow the Crown to tackle rough and uneven surfaces as long as you don’t travel too far off road. The standard wheels are 19 inches; 21-inch wheels are optional.
All three Crown trim levels come with hybrid power systems and allwheel-drive.
The base XLE and midgrade Limited get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and three electric motors.
The net output is 236 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission is standard.
Exclusive to the top Platinum trim level is the Hybrid Max powertrain that gets a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a rear electric motor. It has a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Output is 340 horsepower and 400 pound-feet.
Both powertrains get fiveyear/60,000-mile warranties, but the hybrid components are covered for eight-years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
As measured by Toyota, the base hybrid takes 7.6 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph from rest, which is nearly two seconds longer than it takes the Platinum’s Hybrid Max system.
The base hybrid is significantly thriftier, however. It’s rated at 41 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The best the Hybrid Max can muster is 30 mpg.
The well-equipped XLE starts at $41,450 including destination charges. It gets power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, navigation and a six-speaker sound system. There are also heated and power-folding outside mirrors and puddle lights that provide illumination below the front doors.
The Limited has leather upholstery, a premium 11-speaker Jbl-brand audio system, wireless phone charging and a panoramic sunroof (fixed in place) with a power sunshade.
Along with a significant performance bump and 21-inch wheels, the Platinum gets a 360-degree overhead monitor and a constantly variable adaptive suspension system. What you give up in fuel economy you get back in a ride that’s quiet and comfortable over smooth and rough surfaces. The Platinum’s uptick in power also ties in perfectly with its higher-end image, although the
optional Bi-tone exterior (it’s black on top from front to back) is perhaps more sporty looking than luxurious.
All three trims come with an assortment of dynamic-safety technologies, such as pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
The Crown’s hybrid-only power systems aren’t all that unique since the Prius hatchback, Sienna minivan, Venza crossover, and the Sequoia and new 2024 Land Cruiser utility vehicles use hybrid propulsion exclusively. Nearly all other Toyota models can be specified with a hybrid powertrain.
The Crown’s selling point, then, is luxury rolled into a quasi-utility vehicle skin. That means its style and content will need to win the day. Is that enough?